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Friday, May 6, 2011

Sauteed Sugarsnap Peas with Ginger and Garlic

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...What do you eat and, more importantly share, when your legs feel like mush and your brain thinks it's oatmeal? I'll wager the first thing that came to your mind is fresh sugarsnap peas. That's what jumped into mine. While I am, of course, jesting, this garden plain Jane can be made interesting with a little effort and a bit of garlic and ginger. The little effort part was especially appealing to me this evening. I'm battling eye strain, allergies and a body that thinks it's too old to do what it's been told to do. It's been forced to do some exercise it finds unpleasant and it's retaliating with aches and pains that are worthy of a television commercial. There is nothing seriously wrong, but a portion of the time we'll be spending in Turkey involves hiking on steep and uneven terrain. I'm an endurance champion on flat land, but the prospect of billy goat terrain convinced me my legs needed more and different exercise than they had been getting. They don't like the stair master - at all - but they are now in official training for our fall trip to Turkey and Morocco, and until they're accustomed to the new regime, easy dinners will be the order of the day. I decided to do a simple grilled salmon with steamed rice and included this slightly Asian version of sugarsnap peas. I love these peas, but they come with a caution. Unless they are field fresh they need to be "stringed" before being eaten. That simply means that the fibrous string that runs along the top of the pod must be removed. To do this, break off the stem tip of the pea pod. The stem is a rough area that extends slightly out from the top of the pod. You'll hear a snapping sound as the stem breaks. Gently pull the stem downward, pulling the strings on either side of the pod with it. This is an easy dish to make. In a pinch, you can even use garlic and ginger from a jar and have passably good results. The peas are sauteed and are table ready five minutes after they hit the pan. Those of you who are looking for new ways to prepare vegetables will enjoy them fixed in this manner. Here's the recipe.

Directions:1) String peas by beginning at tip and pulling strings on eith side down. If peas are very young, you can omit this step. Cut off stem ends and leave whole. Place in colander and rinse under cold water. Shake well and drain.2) In large skillet heat oil. Add garlic and ginger and saute briefly about 30 seconds. Add peas and, over medium high heat, toss and cook for 2-4 minutes, depending how large they are. Do not ovcercook. Add salt and pepper just as they are finished cooking. Serve immediately.Yield: 2 - 4 servings.

I am sorry about your aches and pains and allergies, you are amazing at always blogging away anyway, and with such lovely recipes. This one I really like, I am also working on a post with ginger, I think that ginger must have some healing effects :-)

I have long suspected that you are a toughie, Mary. Eye strain, allergiesa and sore muscles and you are still cooking. Impressive. I would be ordering pizza. Hope your on the mend. I have never had allergies until we moved to Chicago and it is driving me crazy.

I am so sorry to hear about your aches and allergies, Mary! I hope you feel better soon... You put out amazing looking food even when you're unwell! You are amazing... This looks fresh & inviting... Thanks for sharing :)

Oh, Mary, I can sympathize on the body retaliating...I tried to amp up my workouts in the morning because I hit a plateau and this week my legs have pretty much screamed at me all week :) But, at least you won't have to feel those pains when you are on vacation, they'll be all worked out by then!!

The sugarsnap peas look lovely. I love ginger and garlic...fantastic little side dish!

Just keep at it! You'll feel much better after your next workout :) And you're doing a fantastic job of training early! My husband got to Chile and was like 'Hey, let's climb a volcano.' I nearly died. Halfway through I said, forget this and went back to the hotel for a massage and the world's largest cheese platter. I'd like to think I had the better experience.

Hi Mary, Hope your aches and pains are fast disappearing now! This is my favourite way of eating sugarsnap peas, they are really crunchy and sweet! I cooked them this way too, sometimes without the ginger! Have a lovely weekend and Happy Mother's Day!

Ohhh, I feel your pain, Mary! Now that I can actually move again I'm starting to exercise and ayiyi, the pain that results is amazing. :-) But it will be worth it! I LOVE this recipe, btw. I adore sugar snap peas, but I never eat them cooked. But with ginger and garlic I could happily embrace such a notion. :-)

Mary, I so admire your preparing for your trip with such rigorous training. You shame me almost enough to get myself in gear! Almost. These peas sounds scrumptious to me (they are one of my favs in any form or fashion... even raw). blesssings ~ tanna

Garlic is my favorite addition to dinners for flavour. I love how you can use it in almost anything. The simple dinners are often the best ones. The vibrant green color is beautiful. You are strong and I know you will triumph over the training you are doing for your trip. Have a wonderful weekend!

I remember watching my grandad peel the strings on these when I was little - he was very dedicated! I think these aren't boring, they're perfect for when you're feeling a bit groggy and want to some green food to get you going :)

Sugar snaps are one of my favorite veggies, and my brother's patch of them will be ready soon! I'll have to try them this way. I feel your pain about the stair-climber. I've been spending a lot of time at the gym and I've found muscles I forgot I had. :)

Hello,Thank you for stopping by my blog and taking the time to leave a comment. I just came over to your site and it's early in the day and I'm starting to be very very hungry, we just planted peas and these looks so delicious and fresh. Beautifully done.Thank you for sharing.

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